Chapter 8: The Friend Who Knew Too Much
The first person I contacted was someone I hadn't spoken to in years.
Emily Carter.
Felicity’s best friend from college.
Or at least, she used to be.
I found her number through an old contact list.
I stared at the screen for almost ten minutes before calling.
When she answered, there was a moment of silence.
“Jenna?””
I smiled faintly.
“Hi, Emily.””
“Wow.””
She sounded surprised.
“I haven't heard your voice in forever.””
“Yeah.””
The conversation felt strange.
Like opening a door to a room you hadn't entered in years.
“I need to ask you something.””
Her tone changed immediately.
“About Felicity?””
I froze.
“How did you know?””
“Because nobody calls me after five years unless it’s about Felicity.””
That answer told me everything.
“You two aren’t friends anymore?””
Emily laughed quietly.
“Not really.””
“Why?””
A long pause.
Then she said:
“Because I finally realized I didn't know her either.””
We met at a small coffee shop outside the city.
Emily arrived ten minutes early.
She looked different from the person I remembered.
Less polished.
More tired.
Like someone who had spent years carrying disappointment.
“I heard about the wedding,” she said.
I looked down.
“Everyone did.””
“Not everyone.””
She smiled sadly.
“Felicity made sure people only heard the good parts.””
I studied her.
“What happened?””
Emily wrapped both hands around her coffee cup.
“You know what Felicity always wanted?””
I shook my head.
“To be admired.””
I thought about that.
“That sounds simple.””
“It wasn't.””
Emily looked at me.
“Felicity wasn't happy unless she was winning.””
I remembered childhood birthdays.
School events.
Family gatherings.
Everything had been a competition.
“After college, things changed,” Emily continued.
“She started comparing herself to everyone.””
“Everyone?””
“Yes.””
“She would look at social media and obsess over people’s lives.””
I frowned.
“That doesn't sound unusual.””
“No. But Felicity took it differently.””
Emily lowered her voice.
“She started creating a version of herself online that wasn't real.””
I felt a chill.
“What do you mean?””
“She exaggerated everything.””
“Like what?””
“Jobs. Connections. Experiences.””
My stomach tightened.
“The Montgomery Foundation?””
Emily nodded.
“So you know.””
I stared at her.
“How long?””
“Months.””
“Why didn't you tell anyone?””
Emily looked ashamed.
“Because I thought it would stop.””
“And it didn't.””
“No.””
She looked away.
“It got bigger.””
“How?””
Emily reached into her purse.
She pulled out her phone.
“I saved something.””
She showed me a screenshot.
It was a message from Felicity.
My eyes moved across the screen.
*I just need Adrian’s family to believe I belong. Once they see me as valuable, everything changes.*
I felt sick.
“She wrote that?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Before she met Adrian’s parents.””
I looked at Emily.
“Why save it?””
“Because she asked me to lie for her.””
My eyes narrowed.
“About what?””
Emily swallowed.
“She wanted me to tell people she worked with charity organizations.””
“Did you?””
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because I knew it wasn't true.””
I stared at the screenshot again.
“What else?””
Emily hesitated.
“There’s something worse.””
“What?””
“She didn't choose Adrian because she loved him.””
My heart sank.
“What are you saying?””
Emily looked at me.
“She studied him.””
The room seemed quieter.
“She researched his family?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because she wanted access.””
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
“Access to what?””
Emily whispered:
“Power.””
That night, I sent everything to Adrian.
He didn't respond immediately.
When he finally called, his voice was different.
Broken.
“She knew everything.””
I sat quietly.
“What do you mean?””
“She knew my family history. My father’s business. My mother’s charity work.””
“Adrian…”
“She asked questions.””
My stomach tightened.
“What kind of questions?””
“Questions someone interested in me would ask.””
A pause.
“But now I realize they were questions someone planning something would ask.””
I didn't know what to say.
Because suddenly, Felicity's actions made sense.
The wedding.
The image.
The lies.
Everything had been a carefully designed performance.
But there was one thing I still didn't understand.
Why me?
Why had she kept me close?
Why had she needed me?
Then Adrian said something that answered it.
“Jenna.””
“Yes?””
“There’s one more thing.””
“What?””
“She listed you as a reference.””
My blood ran cold.
“For what?””
A long silence.
“Her connection to the medical community.””
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
She didn't just use my information.
She used my name.
My reputation.
My career.
May you like
Everything I built.
And she did it without asking.
